


from such small things

by AwayLaughing



Series: the unseen [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 19:14:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9086104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwayLaughing/pseuds/AwayLaughing
Summary: Hyuuga Ryouko did not start life as Hyuuga Neji's long dead mother. No, Hyuuga Ryouko started her life, more or less, here.





	

**Author's Note:**

> _\--from such small things, greatness can grow._

When Ryōko was four, she told her mother she was going to be a shinobi. Her mother had gently stroked her hair – careful not to get ink stains in the bright copper locks – and smiled softly.

 

“Work hard,” she said, “but do not dream too large my sweet.”

 

Ryōko hadn’t understood what that really meant, but she smiled at her mother. “Aren’t dreams supposed to be big?”

 

Her mother’s smile changed – reflecting, years later Ryōko would realize it had become sad. “Just so long as they’re not bigger than you.”

 

“Okay, kaasan,” Ryōko said, so easy to accept back then. “I’m gonna go practice now.”

 

* * *

 

The sun rose late at this time of year, and so it was Ryōko found herself bundled up outside while the morning was still dawn grey, her mother and father both there to see her go. She was to try and test into the Academy in Konoha, if she was excepted, she would stay in Konoha, if not, be sent back at the end of the week.

 

Ryōko had no intention of being sent back.

 

There were a few people headed to Konoha from this and surrounding settlements who were waiting on her, and so she gave her parents each one last hug, earning a kiss from each.

 

“Be good, listen to your elders,” her father said.

 

“We love you, be polite and make sure you work hard,” her mother said.

 

“I love you too, I will,” Ryōko said and then was called away by the tall black haired man who was in charge of the group.

 

“Come Ryōko-chan,” he said, “Henshō-sama is expecting us by noon and does not like to wait.”

 

“Henshō-sama knows I’m coming?” Ryōko asked the older Hyūga, following him onto a cart that was waiting. Immediately, the whole group set off, some people following walking.

 

“He knows the clan will need to house you for a week, and possibly beyond,” he said. “Tsukimi-sama will have assigned someone to deal with you though. Did your parents name any direct family we could ask?”

 

“Yes,” she said, “mama’s cousin is Gento-san,” she said and the man nodded, frowning. “She said she thinks he works for something called T&I.”

 

“Ah, yes, Gento-san,” he said, “I recall him now.” He looked down at her curiously, “have I introduced myself?”

 

“Not to me, you spoke to papa,” she said.

 

“My apologies then, Ryōko-chan, I am Jōgen, I do requisitions for the clan.”

 

“Ooo, I know what that is!” Ryōko said, bouncing slightly, “papa does that!”

 

“Yes, that’s how we know each other,” Jōgen said. “Now then, have you ever been to Konoha?”

  
“No,” she admitted, “I have never been over the river before, Jōgen-san.”

 

Jōgen smiled and ran a hand through his spiky brown hair. “Well, this could at the very least be an adventure for you!”

 

* * *

 

Ryōko’s first three days in Konoha were dreadfully boring. Gento-san was not there when they arrived, and so she had to go into what they just called housing. Housing was a long building with two levels, near the back of the clan lands, full of beds. Most of clan orphans lived there, they were overseen by the oldest of the group who were all about seventeen, and by three grey haired women who never smiled ever, and only checked to make sure it was tidy, every morning. Babies, at least, stayed with members of the clan until they were about 3, so there was none of that noise but it was not a very quiet place to live.

 

The hall they slept in had few walls – boys lived on one side, girls on the other and between them were several bathrooms. That meant they all woke up at the same time. By seven, everyone had eaten and gone off to whatever they did during the day. Many went to go do chores – cleaning, helping in the kitchen and gardens. Some were training in specific areas – a girl named Misora was learning tea ceremonies and stuff you needed to serve the lady of the house. Some went to the academy, either the ninja one or the civilian one, and the really smart ones went to a special tutor the clan paid for. Because she was here to test into the academy, Ryōko went to training, which was with two other children.

 

Kanan and Sekka were cousins who weren’t, in their own words, showing much promise with the jyūken, but were good at suijutsu so they had hope for the academy entrance exams next year.

 

“Morning Ryōko,” Kanan said, mousy brown hair sticking up like he’d forgotten to brush it again.

 

“Good luck,” Sekka said, still in the process of braiding her own hair.

 

“Good luck with wh-” Ryōko started but was cut off by a tall girl with hair so blonde it looked white. Blonde hair was almost as rare as red hair in the clan – her mother, she said, was a Yamanaka.

 

Ryōko did not know what that meant, exactly.

 

“Good morning Ryōko,”Tenna said. Ryōko did not know Tenna very well, as she was sixteen and Ryōko had only just turned six. “You’re coming with us today,” she said. Usually, Ryōko was sent off to whichever relative had time to train her today, though everyone said once he got home Gento-san would arrange someone permanent. “We’re to train you some, and then I’m to escort you to the academy for assessment.”

 

Ryōko felt a flutter of nerves in her stomach, but nodded and followed after the older girl at a trot. The training grounds they used were very nice, but far from the houses. Settled at the back of the clan lands, you had to cross a pretty stone bridge to reach them, and they ranged all across the back wall of Konoha, which was huge. They were not going that way though, breaking off from the group at a fork in the road.

 

“Tenna-kun?” she asked, jogging to catch up slightly. “Where are we going?”

 

“We’re to use the training grounds by the academy, since they’ll be empty while the students are in class,” she said, “so we don’t have to hurry to academy and so I can take some time getting you used to the way there.”

 

“Oh, thank you,” Ryōko said. Tenna shrugged.

 

“Clan orphans need to look out for one another,” she said and Ryōko frowned.

 

“I’m not an orphan, my parents are alive,” she said and Tenna raised one rather severe eyebrow.

 

“Right,” she said.

 

“I’m not,” Ryōko said in a slight mumble as the much taller girl pulled ahead again.

 

* * *

 

Somehow, Ryōko had expected the academy people to be like Henshō-sama and the men who followed him around, or the aunts who checked the house – stern and unfriendly. Instead, they were smiley and largely quite young looking, but even the old one with an eye patch was nice.

 

“If you get in,” he said, “I’ll give you a mochi.”

 

Mochi wasn’t usual in Ryōko’s life, and so she knew her eyes lit up. He laughed at her, but in a nice way, and then had her follow a nervous looking boy with the curliest hair she’d ever seen ever.

 

They went to a room with four other kids, and seven adults. One was at a desk in the front, and six along the wall.

 

“Good morning, this is the academy entrance exam for previously untested children,” the woman at the desk said, “you’re to fill out this form and answer the questions, and then place it on my desk. One of our testers will then take you to a private room to evaluate your abilities.”

 

One person put up their hand, and the woman pointed to him.

 

“Can we fail this test?” he asked.

 

“Yes,” she said, “it is an entrance exam. You start now.”

 

Ryōko had never actually taken a real test before – her mother had taught her reading and maths and everything and didn’t think they were necessary – but she picked up her pencil and got to work. The first question, at least, was easy.

 

Name: Hyūga Ryōko

 

* * *

 

Her tester – the real word being invigilator apparently – was called Shiranui Otoe and was a short young woman with a giant smile. She was very nice through the whole process, getting Ryōko to throw kunai, run through kata and identify all sorts of things, from plants to very strange weapons. When she was done, Otoe-san gave her a pocky stick.

 

“Eyepatch-san said he’d give me mochi if I get in,” Ryōko said and the woman laughed.

 

“You won’t know for another day, but I bet he gives you one anyway,” she said, “just look sad.” Ryōko eyed her and Otoe-san winked. “Or, grin real wide, I think it all works.”

 

“Really?” Ryōko asked, and Otoe-san waved her off.

 

“Really really,” she said, “good luck Ryōko-chan!”

 

* * *

 

She did smile, and he did give her mochi.

 

In fact, he gave her two.

 

* * *

 

The next morning she found herself seated in front of Henshō-sama and his wife, Tsukimi-sama, as well as a tired looking man they introduced as Gento-san. Gento-san had hair like her mother’s, red-brown and very straight, but there was grey at his temples and in his beard. There were also deep lines around his mouth and he hadn’t smiled at her once since they’d been introduced.

 

“The academy contacted us earlier,” Henshō-sama said. “You have been accepted. You start in the new term, and will be staying with Gento during your time as a student and a genin. The clan will buy you supplies – anything you lose or break will have to be replaced with your or Gento’s own money. You are to pass all your classes, and Gento will be finding a clan member to train you.”

 

Then Tsukimi-sama spoke. The lady of the house was, possibly, even colder than her husband. She wore her black hair in a complicated bun and was always dressed in formal kimono and looked like she could stare into your soul. “Gento will be given a small sum to buy you clothing with, as your current guardians think you are insufficiently prepared. We will also send for the rest of your wardrobe from your parents – this money is to be used for formal and training clothing.” She set a small purse down as she spoke. “Do you have any questions?”

 

“No.” Gento-san said. “Thank you, Henshō-sama, Tsukimi-sama.”

 

Tsukimi-sama didn’t respond to that, and Henshō-sama just waved his hand like it didn’t matter.

 

“You are excused,” he said and Gento-san stood and bowed – Ryōko mimicking her.

 

Outside the main house, Gento-san stopped her by grabbing her shoulders and studying her very carefully. Then, he smiled, revealing tiny wrinkles around his eyes too.

 

“I am very pleased to meet you, Ryōko-kun,” he said. “You’re well, I trust?”

 

“Yes Gento-san,” she said and he laughed.

 

“Please, Gento-jisan, at most,” he said. Ryōko felt oddly embarrassed by the idea, but nodded.

 

“Alright Gento-jisan,” she said. “Are we going to your house now?”

 

“First we will get your things,” he said, “then my house. It is actually technically on the other side of clan lands,” he said. “Zoning accident or something.”

 

“Zoning?” she asked and he waved his hand.

 

“Very boring stuff about what can be built where,” he said, “do you have much?”

 

“No, mama said I shouldn’t overpack and jinx it,” she said. “Gento-san, how are we related?”

“Ah, well your mother’s mother, and my father’s mother were sisters,” he said. “Which makes you my cousin, technically but I think uncle fits a bit better.”

 

She looked up at him, studying him carefully before nodding. “You are a bit old to be a cousin,” she said and he laughed.

 

“That I am,” he said, “now, lead on Ryōko-chan.”

 

* * *

 

Gento-jisan’s family lived in a yellow building which was three houses built on top of one another. His house was the very top, and inside it was very sunny and much nicer than the orphan housing. His wife was a very tiny woman named Setsu-basan, and they had a son a few years younger than Ryōko.

 

“Ryooooou-kuuuuuuun,” Yūtaro said, knocking on her door. She’d been living here three months now, and she and Yūtaro had grown quite close though he was only three. It was like having a little brother. “Come on.”

 

“Come on where?” she asked, opening her door to see him bouncing there.

 

“Company!” he said, and shot down the hall. Frowning in confusion, she followed him and promptly stopped short when she saw who itwas.

 

“Oh Ryōko-chan,” her mother said, “you’ve gotten so big!”

 

“Kaachan,” she said, finding her voice. “You’re here!”

 

“And I’m chopped liver,” her father said, and finally she had herself together enough to fly into his arms. She might have cried, a tiny bit because she wasn’t a baby and when she finally pulled away from the hug, Yūtaro was mysteriously missing.

 

They talked for hours, it seemed, about everyone at home, about the academy and about her friends here, training with Tenna and how she was the best weapons user in her class right now. “There’re a lot of non-clan this year, I guess so they didn’t get to practice as much as I did. My teachers say they’ll catch up so I have to keep up my hard work.”

 

“And you will won’t you?” her mother asked.

 

“Yes Kaachan,” she said.

 

Her father had been fairly quiet except for a few questions, but now he spoke. “Well it sounds like you’re enjoying Konoha, Ryō-chan and won’t want to come home with us.”

 

She had to think on that, really. She did miss her parents a lot, but they wrote often and it was only a day away, and she could go live with them during the academy break. “No touchan,” she said finally. “Is that okay?”

 

He smiled, smoothing her hair. “Of course,” he said, “how else will you become a great shinobi?”

 

Ryōko beamed at him. It was the first time they had ever believed her about that. “Not just great, the best,” she said, “okay?”

 

“Okay.”


End file.
